Continuous Door Hinges 101: FAQs About What Keeps Doors Swinging

Both home and business owners have experienced the woes of a sagging door. While this may be caused by foundation shifts, the most likely culprit is deterioration of one or more hinges and their backing. The most vulnerable doors to suffer from hinge failure are commercial door installations, hollow metal doors, those that endure heavy use, have inadequate frames, are poorly maintained and suffer from abuse. This is where continuous door hinges swing in to save the day—and your door.

What are Continuous Door Hinges?

Continuous hinges have quickly become the hinge of choice due to its proven resiliency that holds up under even the most extreme circumstances. These hinges are designed in such a way that allows them to distribute the doors weight evenly to minimize stress on the frame and other hardware. Continuous door hinges are available in an array of finishes and durable materials such as steel, stainless steel and aluminum. Because of their easy installation and affordability, these are an excellent option for those on a tight budget.

What Are the Types of Continuous Door Hinges Available?

There are two basic styles of continuous door hinges available:

Piano hinges—a.k.a. pin and barrel style:

Pin and barrel hinges crafted from stainless steel are widely popular in food service areas, medical environments and other commercial spaces where harsh sanitizers are regularly used.

Aluminum geared hinges:

Also known as Roton style, aluminum geared hinges have surged in popularity due to their vast benefits and affordability. Improvements and additional reasons to go with geared hinges are being discovered at an exponential rate as industry leaders step up their game.

What Are the Advantages of Geared Aluminum Continuous Hinges?

As mentioned, these are some of the most affordable hinges and you get a lot of bang for your buck. Geared aluminum continuous hinges offer a greater load-bearing capacity than its counterparts. They can be utilized for a broader range of commercial applications than piano hinges, and cost much less. In fact, these hinges have survived 25 million cycles during testing, which is ten times more than the standards set by ANSI.

How Much Consideration Should I Give Fire Ratings?

Common sense would say, give only as much consideration to fire ratings as you do to the value of life. After all, if your hinges fail during a fire, people can become trapped inside and rescuers could have difficulty getting inside. The good news is that stainless steel pin hinges easily surpass 3-hour fire ratings, and continuous hinges also achieve and surpass these industry standard integrity ratings.

What’s New in the Realm of Continuous Hinges?

As evolving as the doors they support, continuous hinges have proven to be a time-tested and trouble free solution when it comes to safety, security and affordability. Geared hinges are now undergoing an improved anodizing process that helps reduce bacteria growth in crevices, permits specialty applications with color options, and have the ability to accommodate tighter door frames. Modernized geared hinges are likely to last the lifetime of your doors.

‘Smart doors’ can now be networked to allow locks to latch and unlatch, and more companies are aggressively seeking out this technology. Continuous hinge manufacturers are answering the call with innovative hardware solutions that offer power and data transfer, so they will work with electromechanical locking-style doors and devices. There are several ways these hinges can be used to increase security, support sagging doors, and even improve the tech savviness of your residential or commercial structure.

Considering Continuous Hinge Installation in Malvern, PA?

If you are interested in continuous hinges for your doors and want to call in a professional locksmith from Great Valley Lockshop, just give our friendly and experienced team a call at (610) 644-5334 for a free estimate and consultation. With five regional offices, you can count on fast, reliable service.

We’ll promptly dispatch one of our mobile units to your for any type of door and lock related emergency, and we have generous hours so we can schedule visits when they are most convenient for you!

Written byChris Strauss

Chris is a Locksmith by trade and the owner of Great Valley Lockshop in Malvern PA. Chris is a volunteer firefighter and "Life Member" for East Whiteland Township Volunteer Fire Company and a huge Nascar fan who loves to go camping and enjoys the outdoors.